Financial Controller

Who are we?

Seloxium Limited is a specialist critical metals recovery business, working with industrial manufacturers and mining operations to recover high value materials from waste streams. We are a fast paced company at an exciting stage of development, scaling our operations across two sites - an R&D laboratory facility in Oxford and a pilot processing plant in the North East of England. As we grow, we are looking for a talented and commercially aware Financial Controller to take ownership of our financial management function and support the CFO in shaping the financial strategy of the business.

About the Role

Reporting directly to the CFO, you will be responsible for the day to day financial management of the company, ensuring robust controls, accurate reporting and strong financial governance are in place as the business scales. Alongside your core controllership responsibilities, you will work closely with the CFO on selected strategic projects, making this a role with genuine breadth. We need a fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with a strong working knowledge of UK GAAP principles for this post.

As the business grows, you will play a key role in building and shaping the finance team around you, identifying resourcing needs and developing a high performing function capable of supporting the next stage of the company's growth.

This role is ideally suited to a qualified accountant who has thrived in an SME, high growth or start up environment, where adaptability, commercial pragmatism and the ability to build and improve processes from the ground up are as important as technical excellence. You will be comfortable operating hands on whilst also thinking strategically, and confident engaging with senior stakeholders across the business.

Key Accountabilities Financial Management & Reporting

• Own the monthly management accounts, processing them end to end, delivering accurate and timely financial reporting to the CFO and senior leadership team
• Maintain and continuously improve the financial control environment, ensuring robust processes, reconciliations and controls are in place across all areas of the business
• Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable and treasury management, ensuring healthy cash flow and working capital management
• Manage the year end statutory accounts process, acting as the primary liaison with external auditors
• Ensure full compliance with UK and all relevant financial reporting standards
• Oversee VAT returns and other tax compliance obligations, working with external advisors as required
• Lead the consolidation of group accounts, ensuring alignment between parent and subsidiary entities
• Oversee the financial management and reporting of overseas entities
• Support cross border financial operations, including intercompany transactions and transfer pricing considerations

Compliance & Grant Submissions

• Coordinate and manage submissions for R&D tax credit claims
• Contribute to financial reporting and claims for Innovate UK grants
• Contribute to financial administration related to European grants as needed
• Manage procurement processes and supplier payments
• Ensure compliance with all relevant statutory and regulatory financial obligations

Budgeting, Forecasting & Planning

• Contribute to the annual budgeting process, working collaboratively with department heads to produce a robust and well evidenced budget
• Provide the CFO and senior leadership team with timely and accurate financial outlooks
• Assist the CFO with maintaining financial models to support operational decision making, scenario planning and business case development
• Monitor performance against budget and forecast, identifying variances and working with relevant teams to understand and address them

Strategic Support to the CFO

• Support the CFO on strategic financial projects, including fundraising, investor reporting, financial due diligence and business planning
• Contribute to the development of the company's financial strategy, providing analysis and insight to inform key commercial and operational decisions
• Assist in the preparation of materials for investors, lenders and the board as required
• Act as a deputy to the CFO on financial matters when required, representing the finance function internally and externally
• Support the CFO in the financial setup of international subsidiaries, including entity structuring, systems, and controls

Qualifications

• 5+ years of post qualification experience in a financial control or senior finance role
• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA)
• Strong working knowledge of UK GAAP
• A strong track record in an SME, high growth or start up environment is strongly preferred - to understand the pace, ambiguity and hands on nature of such a business
• Demonstrable experience owning month end processes, management accounts and financial reporting to board level
• Experience with VAT returns, R&D tax credits and grant funding processes, including Innovate UK/European schemes
• Experience supporting strategic finance activity - such as fundraising, investor reporting or financial modelling is highly desirable
• Exposure to international financial reporting or multi currency environments
• Experience working with and managing external tax and accounting advisers, both in the UK and abroad
• Technically strong with a thorough understanding of financial controls, reporting standards and compliance requirements
• Commercially minded, with the ability to translate financial data into clear, actionable insight for non finance stakeholders
• Highly organised and detail oriented, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines
• Confident communicator, comfortable presenting to and engaging with senior leadership, investors and external advisors
• A self starter who takes ownership, works with minimal supervision and thrives in a fast moving, evolving environment
• Eager to grow with the business and take on increasing responsibility over time

Additional Desired Experience

• Experience with accounting software commonly used in SMEs (e.g. Xero, Approval Max, Dext)
• Exposure to ERP systems and finance transformation projects
• Knowledge of cross border tax and regulatory requirements
• An interest in or experience within the science, technology, or engineering sectors
• Experience with IFRS
• Exposure to R&D tax credits or grant funding

Benefits

• A competitive salary
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Excellent employee benefits, including generous pension, private healthcare and share options
• A broad finance role with strategic exposure and traditional controllership
• The opportunity to help shape the financial infrastructure of a high growth, innovative business at an exciting stage of its development
• The opportunity to help shape the growth strategy of a specialist business in a sustainability driven sector
• A friendly and dynamic team with employee social events